Hellobee

I know, it’s cliche. But seriously…I have a one-year-old?? How did that happen?

It’s hard to believe that Mr. Garland and I have been parents for an entire year now, and I can’t even begin to put into words how wonderful and fun the last year has been. It hasn’t been easy, but we have learned so much, we have changed more than I ever imagined, and we are both so in love with our sweet little family. I remember this time last year like it was yesterday – the nervousness I felt when we were in the hospital getting ready to meet Jackson, and how incredible it was to hold him and see his sweet face for the first time. I miss the sweet, squishy newborn days more than I thought I would, but it has been so much fun to watch him grow, and I’m so honored that I get to watch him continue to grow in the coming years.

He’s obsessed with the play kitchen he got for his birthday! 

Here’s a quick rundown of what Jackson is doing right now at one year old.

• We haven’t had his 1-year appointment yet, but I’m guesstimating he’s a bit over 20 pounds (21ish?) and he is in 12-month clothing and size 4 diapers.
• He still nurses twice a day – once when he wakes up and once before bed, but our sessions are getting shorter and shorter and he’s officially only eating from one side now.
• He has 6 teeth with a few more about to poke through.
• He doesn’t stand unassisted or take any steps, but he definitely could if he wanted to. He’s very steady on his feet and we joke that he’s just waiting until he can walk perfectly without falling down at all.
• On that note, he’s very cautious. He’s definitely not a daredevil baby! He doesn’t even want to attempt standing without holding on to anything, and he’s very slow and careful when trying new things. He’s a studier and doesn’t like to try anything unless he knows he can accomplish it.
• He’s very, very chatty and is gaining new words all the time. He currently says done, more, dog, bath, that, and this (yes, there’s a distinct difference between the two!) consistently. Sometimes he will also say mama & dada (in context, but he says them both all the time when he’s just babbling), bubba (one of our dogs), outside, snack, hello, and bye bye.
• He waves goodbye but doesn’t clap or shake his head yet.
• He loves to dance, and he always looks around the room to make sure everyone is dancing with him.
• He’s a fabulous eater. We did baby-led weaning and it really paid off – we constantly have people comment on how well he eats and how much he eats. There are very few things he doesn’t like, and he’s great at feeding himself, which we love.
• He sleeps from 6:30 PM until about 6:00 AM, nurses for about 5 minutes, then goes back down for a while if it’s the weekend and he can. He takes two naps a day, one is about 2.5 hours long and the other is 1.5-2 hours long.
• He absolutely loves our dogs. He pats them, pulls at their tails, and buries his face in their backs. They’re all generally very patient with him, and love to lick his face, which he finds hilarious.
• He’s a total ham and has perfected the art of the fake cry. Every time I tell him no he scrunches his face up and does a loud yell/cry with his mouth open as wide as it’ll go. Once he realizes I’m serious, he usually calms down and actually listens pretty well.
• He loves to point at things that he wants, and he uses his middle finger to do so. Everyone finds this absolutely hilarious.
• He gives the best slobbery, open-mouthed kisses and loves to bury his head in my neck when he’s giving me hugs.
• He’s the most awesome one-year old in the entire world!